The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which struck India suddenly in the second half of April 2021, is having a heavy impact on the entire country, especially in the states of Karnataka and Kerala. These two states in particular are witnessing a relentless rise in the number of positive cases of infection and deaths. More than 35,000 new cases of infection are being reported every day. In order to prevent the spread of the disease, a fifteen-day lockdown was declared, which has far-reaching negative consequences. A large number of workers have been left without jobs and their families have no means to survive. Some of them returned home to surrounding villages, but if they are infected with the virus they have no chance of seeking medical help. Most villages and slums in the state of Karnataka have no quality hospitals or healthcare facilities to treat infected patients; equipment such as oxygen, medical kits and the like is also missing. In the state of Kerala the healthcare facilities are of relatively good quality, but because of the rise in infected people they are reporting a shortage of medical equipment and staff. Infected people desperately seek help in overcrowded hospitals where, due to capacity, they cannot be admitted. The healthcare system is collapsing, which is why civil society is also doing everything it can to help. India is turning to the whole world with a plea for help. Help those who are suffering in India together with us.
In this difficult situation BREADS (Bangalore Rural Educational and Development Society), the development organization of the Salesians of Don Bosco Bangalore, India, is also lending a helping hand. This organization has years of experience with humanitarian assistance in the case of natural and other disasters in the region. One example is the help given during the floods, when you supported their work together with our association SAVIO through the Tehlička 2019 collection. Last year too, during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, BREADS was involved in providing help — for example by handing out food rations and financial assistance to the poor, migrants, the elderly, orphans and widows. At the moment the Salesians in Bangalore are striving to continue helping the most vulnerable groups in society during the second wave of the pandemic, which is far more devastating, and you can lend them a helping hand with us.
One of the main activities they are carrying out is the distribution of food to poor families and to infected patients who remain in home quarantine. These people, who depend on a daily wage, have no way of regularly obtaining food, as in many cases all family members are in quarantine for safety reasons. They cannot go to work to earn money to buy the basics for the household. In cooperation with the Don Bosco centres, BREADS is reaching out to these families and people and distributing cooked meals or food packages directly to their doorstep, in order to prevent the spread of infection. The food packages contain rice, flour, vegetables, eggs, oil and hygiene supplies meant to last the 2 weeks of home quarantine.
Another activity is the distribution of packages containing medical supplies for patients receiving treatment at home. Many of them cannot afford to buy the basic supplies needed to treat and ease the symptoms of Covid-19. The package will contain basic medication (ivermectin, vitamins, zinc, cough syrup), a pulse oximeter, inflatable mattresses and disinfectants. The Salesians in Bangalore are at the same time creating a space for online consultations and conversations for people who, because of the pandemic, are suffering from trauma.
Many Salesian centres and schools are being turned into treatment centres where care is provided to patients with Covid-19 who have mild to moderate symptoms. Hospital staff (doctors and nurses) are being assigned to the centres, but basic supplies for protection against infection, hygiene items and food packages are still in short supply. This need has arisen because the state and private hospitals are already overcrowded and therefore cannot provide adequate medical care. Even though the public and private healthcare systems are doing their best to fight this situation, cases of infection and the mortality rate continue to rise.
Part of the support activities are also youth volunteer groups, which help with the distribution of basic packages to households and actively get involved in providing help in hospitals, where they bring joy and comfort not only to patients but also to front-line workers. They also help spread awareness of hygiene rules and of the option of — and the need for — getting vaccinated.
The staff of BREADS and the Salesians in India are also turning to us with a plea for prayers and financial help. The expenses associated with carrying out the activities are high, since their goal is to help as many people and families as possible.
Join us too and support the activities that help people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in India:
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